Reed mounting with metal tongues for musical instruments



July 31, 1951 R. sEYBoLD 2,562,397

REED-MOUNTING WITH METAL ToNGUEs FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Sept. l0, 1947 MMVENIQR RENE SEYEQLD Patented July 31, 1951 REED MOUNTING WITH METL TONGUES FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Ren Seybold, Strasbourg-Meinem, France Application September 10, 1947, Serial No. '773,261 In Germany November 20, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 20, 1962 8 Claims. 1

In the harmonium, as well as in accordions or similar instruments, the tone producing elements are permanently tuned metal reeds which, without hindrance in their own periodicity, can vibrate within the slot of a reed-mounting. These reed-mountings together with the necessary slots have hitherto been produced through the pressure casting process, or the slots destined to receive the vibrating reeds were stamped from a whole sheet of metal by means of cutting tools. With these processes great stress was laid on a minimum of air space between reed and sidewalls of the slot or its cutting edges, respectively, since the wind consumption becomes less, the lesser the air space is.

With reed-mountings of good quality, the sidewalls of the slots would then be retouched by hand or calibrated by machine in such a manner that the sidewalls of the slot, beginning at the cutting edge and for a distance of approximately 1.5 mm. would lie at right angles to the outer edge, or the surface of the plate, respectively, and from there flared slightly conically to the backside of the plate.

In accordions, stamped reed-mountings are frequently used on which a reed is mounted on each side of the frame. Such reed-mountings have the disadvantage that the slots are slightly rounded on the side on which the cutting tool enters the plate so that only the other side, on which the tool leaves the plate, is provided with sharp edges along the slots. For acoustic reasons, however, there should be sharp edges on both sides for the plate and in order to achieve this, Through this process, however, the dimensions of the slots are frequently altered so that the reeds no longer iit exactly.

The object of the invention is a reed-mounting with metal reeds for musical instruments which differs from the accustomed processes in that it consists of at least two superimposed and mutually joined plate-like parts with slots of different dimensions.

On the accompanying drawings one reedmounted for two reeds is represented as an exemplary presentation of the object of the present invention. Thus:

Fig. l shows a perpendicular View on a platelike part,

Fig. 2 shows a cut along line II-II in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 shows a perpendicular View on another plate-like part,

Fig. 4 shows a cut along line IV-IV in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal cut through a reedthe plates are usually milled again.

mounting composed of the two plate-like parts shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and one reed,

Fig. 6 shows a cut along line VI--VI in Fig. 5.

The reed-mounting depicted here is composed of two plate-like parts. One of these two parts consists of an upper frame-plate I showing a longer slot 2 and a shorter slot 3, the two slots lying side by side and oriented in the longitudinal axis of the plate. The lengths of these slots are designated in Figs. 2 and 4 with A and B, respectively, and their width, in Fig. 6 with C and D, respectively. Slots 2 and 3 could both also have identical lengths, as shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. In the frame-plate I drill holes 4, 5, and 1 are provided for rivets. The one narrow edge 8 of frame-plate I is turned up at right angles.

The second plate-like part of the reed-mounting consists of a lower frame-plate 9 which is shaped exactly like the upper frame-plate I. The longer slot is designated with the number Il, the shorter with I0 and the rivet holes with I2, I3, I4 and I5. The narrow edge IB is turned down.

In order to form a reed-frame the two frameplates I and 9 are superimposed on each other in such a manner that a T-shaped longitudinal cut results and that rivet holes 5 and I3, 4 and I2, I and I5 as well as 6 and I4 lie on top of each other.

The reed-mountings of accordions, for example, have usually a thickness of approximately 3 mm. For the construction of such a reed-frame, therefore, two frame-plates of 1.5 mm. thickness each are used so that the resulting reed-mounting possesses the customary thickness. The slots of these relatively thin plates can, as experience shows, be machined accurately and neatly so that no subsequent milling is required. The dimensions of the slots can be kept within such accurate tolerances that, on the cutting edge, they correspond accurately to the dimensions of reed I'I (Fig. 5) from base to tongue end and that thus the air space between reed and cutting edge can be reduced to a minimum. y As can be seen from Fig. 6, the shorter slots 3 and I0 of the two frame-plates are wider than the longer slots 2 and II. The ends of the shorter slots 3 and Ill, lying near the tongue end of the reed, do not extend quite as far as the longer slots 2 and I I, as shown in Fig. 5. Hence, there is somewhat more play between the walls of the shorter slots 3 and I0 and reed l1 than between the reed and the walls of the longer vslots 2 and I I.

The two frame-plates I and 9, as well as the reed I1 are joined together by means of a rivet IB (Fig. The shaft of the rivet has different diameters (i. e., partly countersunk head) so that drill holes 4 and I2 are provided with ydifferent but suitable diameters, concentrically superimposed. The second reed-not shown in the drawing, but-belonging to the superimposed slits 3 and II is fastened by means oi? a rivet set in drill holes 5 and I3. Two rivets I9 through drill holes 1 and I5 and 8 and I4, respectively, fasten together the frame-plates I and 9 near the tongue end oi the reed. As can be seen from the arrangement and articulation of the superimposed slots 3 and Il, as well as 2 and I0, the second, and not shown, reed is, in contrast to reed I'I, ailixed on the lower frame-plate 9 and lies opposite the longer slot II. The detailed exemplary drawing (shown here) is therefore intended for two streams of air coming from opposite directions.

By means of the diiierent dimensions of the shaft (i. e., the partly countersunh head) of rivet I8 a rm juncture oi the frame-plates, as well as a firm seat of the reed, is achieved-a fact of great importance for the vibrating action and for the maintenance of correct pitch. The flanged ends 8 and I6 serve the purpose of making airtight the open sides or the compartments of the soundboard into which the reed-frames are fitted by means of grooves.

The reed-frames could also be constructed of more than two superimposed and mutually joined frame-plates. rlhe frame-plates could also be provided with slots in such a fashion that the resulting reed-frames possess more than two reeds.

I claim:

1. In a music instrument, the combination of a reed-plate comprising two elementary identical elongated plates provided with two parallel longitudinal slots of different lengths, means for superposing said plates in joined relationship through corresponding faces and a reed secured to the free face of each elementary plate and registering with the longer slot therein.

2. In a music instrument, the combination of a reed-plate comprising two elementary identical elongated plates provided with two parallel longitudinal slots of dillerent lengths, the cooperating ends of the two slots being very near alignment with one another with a slight relative longitudinal shitting, means for superposing the plates in joined relationship through corresponding faces and a reed secured to the free face or each elementary plate near the opposite end of the longer slot of the corresponding plate for registering with the said slot.

3. In a music instrument, the combination of a reed-plate comprising two elementary identical elongated plates provided with two parallel longitudinal slots of different lengths, the shorter slot being slightly wider than the longer slot, means for superposing said plates in joined relationship `through corresponding faces and a reed secured to the free face of each elementary plate and registering with the longer slot therein.

11. In a music instrument, the combination of a reed-plate comprising two elementary identical elongated plates provided with two parallel longitudinal slots of different lengths, the cooperating ends of the two slots being very near alignment with one another with a slight relative longitudinal shifting, a reed secured to the free face of each elementary plate and registering with the longer slot therein and common rivets rigidly securing together each reed with both elementary plates.

5. In a music instrument, the combination of a reed-plate comprising two elementary identical elongated plates provided with two parallel longitudinal slots of different lengths and superposed through corresponding -faces, a reed secured to the free face of each elementary plate and registering with the longer slot therein, and common rivets rigidly securing together each reed with both elementary plates.

6. In a music instrument, the combination oi.' a reed-plate comprising two elementary identical elongated plates provided with two parallel longitudinal slots of different lengths, corresponding ends of which slots being in substantial alignment, means for superposing said plates in joined relationship through corresponding faces and a reed secured to the free face of each elementary plate and registering with the longer slot therein, the secured end of the reed lying near the portion of said slot that does register with the longer slot in the underlying plate.

7. In a music instrument, the combination of a reed-plate comprising two elementary identical elongated plates provided with two parallel longitudinal slots oi different lengths and including a depending flange at one of their small ends, means for super-posing said plates in joined relationship through corresponding faces with the flanges of each plate directed away from the other plate and a reed secured to the free face of each elementary plate and registering with the longer slot therein.

8. In a music instrument, the combination of a reed-plate comprising two elementary identical elongated plates each provided with two parallel longitudinal slots of different lengths said plates being disposed one above the other face to face, a reed secured to the free face of one of the elementary plate and registering with the longer slot therein and rivets securing the two plates together, the diameter of said rivets being stepped in register with the two elementary plates through which the rivets pass.

RENE' snYBoLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,330,261 Beyer Sept. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 185,694 Switzerland Oct. 16, 1936 241,018 Switzerland Feb. 15, 1946 517,945 Great Britain Feb. 13, 1940 

